Bench seat

ABSTRACT

A bench seat for a household dining nook, restaurant dining booth or the like. The bench seat has seat and back rest members or cushions which are removable to facilitate movement of the bench seat from one location to another. The bench seat frame may contain a storage receptacle below the seat cushion to which access is provided by removal of the seat cushion. The back rest cushion is vertically movable between a lower position of use wherein it contacts the seat cushion to hold the latter in position on the seat frame and an elevated retracted position wherein it releases the seat cushion for removal from the frame.

United States Patent 11 1 Jones 1 BENCH SEAT [76] Inventor: Ferris E. Jones, 943 Millbury, La

Puente, Calif. 91746 [22] Filed: June 18, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 371,168

[52] US. Cl 297/193; 297/440 [51] Int. Cl. A47c 7/62 [58] Field of Search 297/118, 141, 158, 192,

1451 May 27, 1975 Primary Examiner--Pau1 R. Gilliam Assistant ExaminerAndrew M. Calvert Attorney, Agent, or FirmBoniard I. Brown [57] ABSTRACT A bench seat for a household dining nook, restaurant dining booth or the like. The bench seat has seat and back rest members or cushions which are removable to facilitate movement of the bench seat from one location to another. The bench seat frame may contain a storage receptacle below the seat cushion to which access is provided by removal of the seat cushion. The back rest cushion is vertically movable between a lower position of use wherein it contacts the seat cushion to hold the latter in position on the seat frame and an elevated retracted position wherein it releases the seat cushion for removal from the frame.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,276,308 3/1942 Hugh 297/440 UX 2,994,558 8/1961 Draxler 297/232 X 3,099,482 7/1963 Woodruff ..297/193 3,128,123 4/1964 Schreier ..297/440X 3,230,006 l/l966 Sokolis ..297/193 L IIJ 7.- I

1:21", -'-l: 1 -I'-.I'

I 2 34 Z8 Q a 4 4 46 ..illllli.

1 BENCH SEAT BACKGROUND oF THE-INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to'furniture and more particularly to a novel bench seat for ahousehold dining nook, restaurant dining booth or the like.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art Household dining nooks, restaurant dining booths and the like have a bench seat with a seat cushion supported on the bench seat frame. Mounted on theframe along the rear edge of and rising above the seat cushion is a backrest cushion. Examples of such bench seats are disclosed in my copending application, Ser. No. 281,322, now abandoned which application describes the bench seat in combination with a tilt table which is pivotally attached to the seat frame for swinging between a normal position of use wherein the table rests on the floor and an elevated cleaning positionwherein the table is elevated above the floor to facilitate cleaning the floor below the table.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a novel bench seat of the class described whose seat and backrest members or cushions are removable from the seat frame to facilitate movement of the bench seat from one location to another. The seat frame may contain a storage space or receptacle below the seat cushion having a top opening which is closed by the latter cushion. Removal of the seat cushion provides access to the storage receptacle for placement of articles in and removal of articles from the receptacle.

According to an important feature of the invention, the backrest cushion is vertically movable or adjustable between a lower position of use and an upper retracted position. In its lower use position, the lower edge of the backrest cushion rests on the rear edge of the seat cushion to hold the latter cushion in position on the seat frame. Elevation of the backrest cushion releases the seat cushion for removal from the seat frame. Removal of the backrest cushion from the seat frame is accomplished by elevation of this cushion above its upper seat cushion releasing retracted position. The bench seat is disclosed in conjunction with a tilt table of the kind described in my copending application Ser. No. 281,322.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a tilt table dining nook r booth embodying an improved bench seat according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 22 in FIG. 1'.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 33 in FIG. 2', and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 44 in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The dining nook or booth illustrated in the drawings comprises a generally L-shaped bench seat 12 according to the invention and a tilt table 14 like that described in my copending application Ser. No. 281,322.

Bench seat 12 has a base frame 16 with front and rear walls 18, 20, end walls 22 (only one shown), and a bot tom wall 24 defining a storage space or receptacle 26 within the frame. This storage space has a top opening 28. Removably supported on the frame 16 and closing the frame opening 28 is a seat member or cushion 30. The illustrated bench seat :12 and its seat cushion have generally L-shapes. The cushion may be a one-piece,

L-shaped cushion although the cushion is preferably constructed in three separate sections 30a, 30b, 300 which are individually removable from the seat frame. Each cushion section has a frame 32 including a depending bottom shoulder formation 34 which fits close within the top opening 28 of the seat frame 16 to position the cushion section relativeto the frame.

Supported on the rear frame wall 20 and rising above the seat cushion 30 is a backrest member or cushion 36. This backrest cushion has essentially the same generally L-shape in top plan view as the bench seat 12 and seat cushion 30 and, like the seat cushion, may be constructed in one piece as three separate sections 30a, 36b, 36c.

Backrest cushion 36 is slidably supported on vertical supporting members 38 rigidly secured at their lower ends to the back wall 20 of the seat frame 16 at positions spaced along the rear edge of the seat cushion 30. If the backrest is constructed in separate sections, each section is supported by at least two support members. These support members fit slidably within socket-like openings 40 in the backrest, such that the backrest cushion may be raised and lowered relative to the seat cushion as well as removed from the seat frame.

The backrest cushion 36 normally occupies its lower position of use shown in FIG. 2. In this position, the lower edge of the backrest cushion rests on the rear edge of the seat cushion 30 to hold the seat cushion in position on the seat frame 16. The backrest cushion is slidable upwardly on the support members 38 to an elevated retracted position wherein the lower cushion edge is spaced from the seat cushion 30 to release the latter for removal from the frame. The backrest cushion is also removable from the frame by elevating this cushion above its retracted position and the upper ends of the support members.

The seat cushion 30 is removable to provide access to the storage space 26. The seat and backrest cushions are both removable to facilitate movement of the bench seat from one location to another.

The tilt table 14 is essentially identical to that shown in my copending application Ser. No. 281,322 and hence need not be described in elaborate detail. Suffice it to say that the table has an L-shaped base 42 formed from tubular members 44 or the like having upturned rear ends 46 attached by hinges 48 to the front wall 18 of the bench seat frame 16. Rigidly secured to and rising from the base 42 are supporting columns 50. A table top 52 is attached to the upper ends of these columns.

Table 14 is swingable between its solid line position of use and its broken line cleaning position of FIG. 2. In use position, the table base 42 rests on the floor 54 to position the table top 52 horizontally in front of the bench seat. In its elevated cleaning position, the table inclines rearwardly over the seat with the table base 42 elevated above the floor to facilitate cleaning of the floor.

What is claimed as new in support of Letters Patent 3,885,830 3 4 l. A bench seat comprising a hollow rectangular backrest member in said use position of said backframe having front, rear and end walls forming a storrest member. age receptacle with a top opening: v 3. A bench seat comprising a hollow rectangular a Seat member removably Supported p d frame frame having front, rear and end walls forming a storwith said seat member resting on the upper edges 5 age receptacle with a top opening:

of at least certain of said frame walls'and including a lower depending shoulder formation projecting into said opening for locating said seat member relative to said frame,

a seat member removably supported atop said frame with said seat member resting on the upper edges of said front and rear frame walls and including a lower depeding shoulder formation projecting into a backrest ,g alogg the g edge of and i said opening for locating said seat member relative a oveksard tseat rzezn er, an t d b k to said frame fsgi gf l f; g i zijrsgxgfizzi ii ai a backrest 'member along the rear edge of and rising above said s at me e tally independently of and without moving said seat P r means supporting said backrest member on said member between a lower position of use wherein f f the lower edge of said backrest member contacts rame or Vemcal movement mdepenqntly of'sald the rear edge of said seat member to hold the seat g P betwegn a l i of use member in seating contact with the upper edges of W erem t f Ower e ge 0 ac rest member said certain frame walls and thereby retain the seat F F member to hold the seat member member in position on said frame and an elevated m P fl flame and an elevated renamed retracted position wherein the seat member continposmonl where! backrest {nember 15 p f ues to rest in the upper edges of said certain frame from 531d seat member to PermIt removal of 531d walls and said backrest member is spaced from said Seat f and seat member to permit removal of said seat mem- Sald Supporting means compnsmg p l p g bet 7 members secured at their lower ends to the rear 2, A b h s t according t l i 1 wh i side of said rear frame wall and slidably supporting said seat member and backrest member include cushsaid backrest member for movement between said ions which contact one another along the rear edge use and retracted positions. of said seat member and the lower edge of said 

1. A bench seat comprising a hollow rectangular frame having front, rear and end walls forming a storage receptacle with a top opening: a seat member removably supported atop said frame with said seat member resting on the upper edges of at least certain of said frame walls and including a lower depending shoulder formation projecting into said opening for locating said seat member relative to said frame, a backrest member along the rear edge of and rising above said seat member, and means fixed to said frame supporting said backrest member on said frame for vertical movement totally independently of and without moving said seat member between a lower position of use wherein the lower edge of said backrest member contacts the rear edge of said seat member to hold the seat member in seating contact with the upper edges of said certain frame walls and thereby retain the seat member in position on said frame and an elevated retracted position wherein the seat member continues to rest in the upper edges of said certain frame walls and said backrest member is spaced from said seat member to permit removal of said seat member.
 2. A bench seat according to claim 1 wherein: said seat member and backrest member include cushions which contact one another along the rear edge of said seat member and the lower edge of said backrest member in said use position of said backrest member.
 3. A bench seat comprising a hollow rectangular frame having front, rear and end walls forming a storage receptacle with a top opening: a seat member removably supported atop said frame with said seat member resting on the upper edges of said front and rear frame walls and including a lower depeding shoulder formation projecting into said opening for locating said seat member relative to said frame, a backrest member along the rear edge of and rising above said seat member, means supporting said backrest member on said frame for vertical movement independently of said seat member between a lower position of use wherein the lower edge of said backrest member contacts said seat member to hold the seat member in position on said frame and an elevated retracted position wherein said backrest member is spaced from said seat member to permit removal of said seat member, and said supporting means comprising upright supporting members secured at their lower ends to the rear side of said rear frame wall and slidably supporting said backrest member for movement between said use and retracted positions. 